The Irish Empire by Patrick Bishop
The Irish Empire is the sumptuous companion to BBC2's new five-part series on the Irish diaspora.The story of the Irish diaspora represents a great historical triumph of the human spirit. Ireland has a present population of 4 million, but it can claim 70 million descendants world-wide-70 million people whose families turned tragedy into triumph, by fleeing poverty, hunger, political and religious oppression and started a new life in far-flung lands. These descendant's devotion to their homeland has created a strong sense of identity which makes it possible to talk in more than just a metaphorical sense of an Irish Empire.From the origins of the scattering of the Irish over the centuries, to the dreams of a mythical home nurtured by so many Irish migrants today, The Irish Empire is a penetrating exploration of the Irish diaspora, and of how the Irish succeeded in turning exile abroad into opportunity and, finally, world-wide recognition.